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ASSIGN #10 - Contours and Landforms (Needs Handout Maps) - 1
ASSIGN #10 - Contours and Landforms (Needs Handout Maps) - 1
Maps of
CI = 20 [ft]
To construct a
Topographic Profile
along
Transect A-to-A’…
600’
The
W E 400’
200’
CI = 100 ft 0’
I. W 0 ft 2000 ft 4000 ft E→
The “RUN”
1000’
800’
“ RISE”
600’
The
W E
400’
200’
CI = 100 ft 0’
II. W 0 ft 2000 ft 4000 ft E→
The “RUN”
1000’
800’
“ RISE”
600’
The
W E 400’
200’
0’
W 0 ft E→
CI = 100 ft
III. 2000 ft 4000 ft
The “RUN”
3
a. THE VERTICAL AXIS (from the Profiles on the last page) → The “RISE”
On the Profiles on the last page, convert the vertical Graphic Scale into a Verbal Scale in
“inches per feet” (simply apply a ruler to the Y-axis, which is a Graphic Scale, then read-off
and write as a Verbal Scale): Note: Be sure to write the Verbal Scale correctly…
”something per something” implies a fraction.
b. THE HORIZONTAL AXIS (from the Profiles on the last page) → The “RUN”
On the Profiles on the last page, convert the horizontal Graphic Scale into a Verbal Scale
in “inches per feet” (simply apply a ruler to the X-axis, which is a Graphic Scale, then read-
off and write as a Verbal Scale).
c. COMPARE SCALES
Which scale above (Horizontal or Vertical) is smaller (i.e., which fraction is a smaller number)?
___________________________________
d. THE “VERTICAL EXAGGERATION” (of the Vertical Axis vs. the Horizontal)
How much larger is the Vertical Scale vs. the Horizontal Scale on the last page…is it 2:1, or 3:1,
etc? That is to say, topographic features such as hills and valleys on the real Earth aren’t “that big”
compared to the large horizontal distances between features on Earth’s surface. So, to make
sure that even slight topographic variation is not overlooked on a Topographic Profile, the
Vertical Scale is commonly made larger than the Horizontal Scale by 2 or 3 or 100 times;
i.e., the Vertical Scale is “exaggerated” by some amount.
Determine the Vertical Exaggeration used on the last page. Solve by setting “the larger- Note: All 3 Graphs
on the last page
value Scale” equal to “the smaller-value Scale” times “X.” Then, solve for X: have the same VE.
❖ It will show the topography of the area around Grossmont College and
off to its west. Landforms include a) Cowles Mountain, with some of its
sharply-serrated east-west running canyons, b) the mesa that Grossmont
College is built upon, and c) the north-south running stream valley that
separates the two.
(+2 3/4 Points)
❖ Do so as explained on Page 1, again using the side of a piece of
scratch-paper: transfer the map’s contour data (as given along
“Transect A-B”) to the edge of your piece of scratch-paper, and then to
the profile. (Simplify where appropriate by using the Index Contours
only.)
(+ ½ Points) ❖ Then neatly and with great care, connect the dots to accurately reflect
the rugged vs. gentle topography along this transect (e.g., most canyons
here are ruggedly “V-shaped” in profile, while mesas are strikingly flat,
etc.).
(+ 3/4 Points) d) On the map (repeat: on the 1953 map that’s shown on p. 5, not on the profile
that you’ve just drawn), use a colored pencil or a highlighter and your La
Mesa Quad (which is more recent and shows the area that’s now occupied
by Grossmont College) to color the mesa that Grossmont College is built
upon. (Do not color below the 720 ft contour.)
5
5
CI = 25 [ft]
“ Index CI” = 100
[ft]
6
b. Consider the map scale of the La Mesa Quad (as written toward the bottom of the map):
(1) Find the Verbal Scale in “inch per feet:” ___________________________
(2) So, if two places are 3 inches apart on the map,
how far apart are they on the ground in feet? ___________________________ (+ 1½ Points)
(4) Use the edge of a piece of scratch-paper, in conjunction with the Graphic Scale,
to measure the straight-line ground distance from the Radio Tower on Cowles
Mountain to the center of the building mapped at Grossmont College.
Do so to the following units:
feet (round to nearest hundreds-of-feet) = _______________________
mile (round to nearest tenth-of-a-mile) = _______________________ (+ 1½ Points)
kilometer (round to nearest tenth-of-km) = _______________________
(5) (a) Use the edge of a piece of scratch-paper, in conjunction with the Graphic
Scale, to measure the distance across the map’s:
• Southern Boundary in miles,
(rounded to the nearest tenth) = ___________________________
• Western Boundary in miles,
(rounded to the nearest tenth) = ___________________________
(b) Compute the total Surface Area
covered by the La Mesa Quad = ___________________________ (+ 1½ Points)
(Show your work, with units, in the space below) (rounded to the nearest tenth)
c. Magnetic Declination (MN) is the angular-separation between True North vs. Magne-
tic North at any given location on Earth. Give the MN for the La Mesa Quadrangle, as
found immediately-left of the Graphic Scale,
in degrees from True North (shown by a star): _____________ to the ___________ (+ ½ Points)
west / east
d. Consider that this map is part of the “7.5 Minute Series” of USGS Topographic Maps:
(1) In the context of both the northern and western boundaries of the map,
explain the “7.5 Minute” name: _______________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
(2) From the map’s northern to southern boundary, show how to convert this change-
in-latitude (of 7.5 minutes, as discussed immediately above) into a change-in-miles
(1o = 60 min, 1olat = 69 miles); include your work: (+2 Points)
______________________________
(should be about the same as above in “b(5)a”)
(4) Consider hiking from the shores of Lake Murray to the top of Cowles Mtn:
✓ Elevation at the top of Cowles Mtn (printed on map) = _______________ (+1 Point)
a. From the main building mapped at Grossmont College: what is the (+2 Points)
azimuth to the “Stream Gaging Station” that is located within Mission
Gorge? What is the back-azimuth that will get you back to Grossmont?
✓ To start, lightly draw a straight line between the two points.
✓ Then, place the center of your compass protractor right-on-top of the
building, with the north/south axis aligned properly.
✓ Now, read-off the azimuth along the line you drew.
✓ Finally, the “back-azimuth” will be in the 180o-opposite direction.
AZIMUTH = _________________
BACK-AZIMUTH = _________________
(Means “the way back.” It’s just 180o opposite the Azimuth)
b. From the Radio Tower located atop Del Cerro (0.7 miles west of Lake (+2 Points)
Murray at 32o 47’ 30’’ N Lat, 117o 03’ 38” W Long), what is the azim-
uth to the Radio Tower atop Cowles Mountain? Back-azimuth?
AZIMUTH = _________________
BACK-AZIMUTH = _________________
c. Start from the center of the Stadium in Mission Valley, and draw a dot (+3 Points)
here at this exact location on your map. Be exact, or lose points.
EXAMPLE
GIVEN: On a Topo Map, it’s been determined that “Point A” is 400 [ft] higher than
is “Point B” along a single slope. The two are 1,360 [ft] apart horizontally.
What is the gradient along this slope in (a) ft/mile, and (b) as a percent?
SOLVE: (a) In “feet per mile” → solve by multiplying gradient by a Conversion Factor
“Rise” 400 ft 5280 ft 2112000 ft
“Run”
x = = 1553 ft / mile
1360 ft 1 mile 1360 mile
(b) As a “percent” → solve by reducing the fraction (including units), and
then multiplying by 100
400 ft
x 100 = 0.29 x 100 = 29%
1360 ft
(+1 Point) b. Through “Mission Gorge,” notice the contours on either side of the river:
Simply but accurately describe the topography of a gorge vs. a
typical canyon (especially the width at base vs. top for each, thus the nature of their sides):
__________________________________________
Simply but accurately describe the contours around a typical gorge
(especially the spacing of the contours, and, the relative distance apart between both sides):
__________________________________________
(+2 Points) c. Determine the gradient of the San Diego River through Mission Gorge
from the 280 ft contour line (near the “Mission Dam Historic Site”)
to the Gaging Station, in (1) feet per 1 mile, then (2) percent grade.
(Don’t expect a large number. Also, you may ask the Instructor for a magnifying glass to help
read the contours; seriously, it helps! Show all work, including units.)
“Rise”
“Run”
ft
x ft
= (1) _______________
ft mile
(2) _______________
“Rise” ft
x =
“Run” ft
____________________ - __________________ =
TOP-OF-MTN BOTTOM
(Round to nearest (Sea Level)
thousand feet)
“Rise” ft
=x =
“Run” ft
mile
x=
“Rise” ft mile
ft
“Run”
x =
ft
mile mile
ft
% Grade = ____________
(Round to the nearest tenth)
d. Name the 5 volcanoes that make up the Big Island of Hawai’i. Then,
onto Map “A,” circle Hawai’i’s two most currently-active volcanoes
(as determined using Map “A,” which shows the dates of the most-recent lava-flows):
e. On the photo below, correctly label Mauna Kea vs. Mauna Loa (do so by
using Map “A” for guidance, and, by noting that NORTH is to the left on the photo):
Hualalai
The Big Island (Hawai’i), in profile, from the West (from Wikipedia)
(+3 Points) MOUNT SHASTA – Southwest Slope (use Map B, on a separate handout)
____________________ - __________________ =
TOP-OF-MTN BOTTOM
(Round to nearest (Assume the 3000 ft
thousand feet) contour as “bottom”)
“Rise”
“Run”
ft
x ft
=
ft mile
% Grade = ____________
(Round to the nearest tenth)
____________________ - __________________ =
TOP-OF-MTN BOTTOM
(as printed on the map) (Assume the 700 ft
contour as “bottom”)
“Rise”
“Run”
ft
x ft
=
ft mile
“Rise” ft
x =
“Run” ft
% Grade = ____________
(Round to the nearest tenth)
“Mission
Gorge Rd”
THIS PHOTO: Taken from the west side of Cowles Mtn (i.e., from San Carlos)
SUMMIT
A B
2. On the profile of Mount Shasta above, attempt to approximate a simplified drawing of (+4 Points)
the profile of both Mauna Kea and Cowles Mountain to scale. Center the summit
of both at the same position horizontally as is Mt Shasta. Before plotting, record
data on the tables below. (Note: Contour Intervals and Map Scales differ on the
maps used. Thus, these other two will not fit well onto the profile axes, since they’re
best-scaled for Mt. Shasta; the comparison should be interesting!)
Cowles Mtn:
Mauna Kea: Location Elevation
Location Elevation At the Summit __________
At the Summit __________ 0.5 miles SW of summit __________
5 miles SW of summit __________ 1.0 miles SW of summit __________
10 miles SW of summit __________ 2.0 miles SW of summit __________
5 miles NE of summit __________ 0.5 miles NE of summit __________
10 miles NE of summit __________ 1.0 miles NE of summit __________
2.0 miles NE of summit __________